World of Warcraft

3.3 PTR Patch Notes Update - November 5th

2009-11-06T03:04:30Z

The patch notes were updated again today to reflect today's build. They were also updated late on the 3rd and I've included those as well.

PvP

Arenas

All abilities that have base cooldowns of 10 minutes or longer cannot be used in Arenas, down from 15 minutes.

Dungeons and Raids

Naxxramas

Players no longer need to kill the final bosses in all four wings of this dungeon in order to teleport to Sapphiron. Teleportation orbs have been added to allow players access back and forth from Sapphiron's lair.

Death Knight

Talents

Unholy

Night of the Dead: Now reduces the damage your pet takes from area-of-effect damage by 45/90%, but no longer applies to area-of-effect damage caused by other

Druid

Tranquility: The cooldown on this spell has been reduced to 8 minutes, down from 10 minutes.

Mage

Talents

Frost

Deep Freeze: This spell now deals a large amount of damage to targets permanently immune to stuns. In addition, when this ability deals damage it will no longer consume two charges of Fingers of Frost for those mages with the Shatter talent.

Paladin

Talents

Holy

Sanctified Light: This talent now also has a 33/66/100% chance to prevent Lay on Hands from causing Forbearance when Lay on Hands is used on others.

Retribution

Repentance: This crowd control effect will no longer break early from the damage done by Righteous Vengeance.

Priest

Divine Hymn: The cooldown on this spell has been reduced to 8 minutes, down from 10 minutes.

Rogue

Talents

Subtlety

Filthy Tricks: The cooldown reduction this talent provides for Preparation has been reduced to 1.5/3 minutes, down from 2.5/5 minutes.

Preparation: The cooldown on this ability has been reduced to 8 minutes, down from 10 minutes.

User Interface

Quest Tracking Feature

Players can now track quest objectives on the map (‘M’ key).

Quest Log

A Show Map button has been added to the Quest Log. Selecting a quest and pressing this button will open the map for the zone in which the quest objective is located displaying the associated area of interest. Any other active quests in a player’s Quest Log for that zone will also be displayed.

Map

The map interface has been separated into four separate panes: a map pane (left), a pane listing active quest names for the zone being viewed (right), a pane listing the full quest text for any highlighted quest (bottom left), and a pane listing the quest rewards for any highlighted quest (bottom right).

All active quests listed in the right pane for the zone being viewed on the map will be assigned a number. These numbers will be displayed on the map according to the areas of interest for each quest.

Highlighting a quest name in the right pane will highlight the corresponding area of interest on the map in the left pane, show its quest text in the lower left pane, and list the quest rewards in the lower right pane.

Given that some quest objectives can be achieved in multiple locations within a given zone, highlighting such a quest will highlight an area of interest closest in proximity to the character’s current location.

This feature can be disabled by un-checking the Show Quest Objectives box in the bottom right corner of the new map interface, restoring the map to its standard full-screen display.

Clicking on the arrow in the top right corner of the new map interface will hide all but the map pane, bringing the map out of full-screen mode and allowing players to leave it open while navigating a zone or engaging in combat.

Objectives Tracking

This frame has been improved to offer new functionality and can be used with the new shrunken map option.

The Objectives frame is now docked below the mini-map next to the right 2 action bars and will track up to 12 quests for a zone.

Numbers have been added next to each quest name and objective corresponding with those areas of interest displayed on the map.

If a quest objective has been completed, the number will be replaced with a yellow question mark symbol.

The arrow button in the top right corner of the Objectives frame can be used to toggle between minimizing and maximizing the quest objective display.

Quest Difficulty Tracking

This feature is off by default and can be enabled in the Objectives window from the Interface Options menu. Turning this feature on will color-code all quest names displayed in the map interface according to difficulty (grey, green, yellow, orange, and red).

Updated: Patch 3.3 - Paladin / Priest Tier-10 Sneak Peek

2009-11-05T19:19:41Z

Update: Nevermind. Blizzard messed up and posted the season 8 paladin set instead of tier-10. It's now been fixed.

The official tier-10 sneak peek page has been updated with the paladin and priest sets. Check out the images below.

What do you think of the tier-10 paladin armor?

The Pet Store: Buy In-Game WoW Pets For Real Money

2009-11-04T22:13:48Z

This could be both controversial, or welcomed, depending on how you look at it. On one hand, Blizzard is giving 50% of the proceeds for the Pandaren Monk to the Make-a-Wish Foundation. On the other hand, it's only until the end of this year (which even so could be a substantial amount of money), and it's only for one of the two pets, so keep that in mind if you're planning to purchase these for charity purposes.

Regardless of that, today Blizzard took a step closer to fully adopting microtransactions by introducing the World of Warcraft Pet Store, a way for players to purchase companion pets with real money and have them automatically delivered to their in-game mail box. Check out the details below.

Quote from: Nethaera (Source)

Today we’re pleased to introduce the Pet Store for World of Warcraft, a new way for players to obtain in-game pets to join them on their adventures in Azeroth. Two brand-new companions are now available for purchase exclusively at the Pet Store in the online Blizzard Store: Lil’ K.T. and the Pandaren Monk.

Make a Difference: Pandaren Monk Charity Pet

Enter the Pandaren Monk, ( http://us.blizzard.com/store/details.xml?id=1100000763 ) a martial-arts expert who’s here to help celebrate the upcoming fifth anniversary of World of Warcraft. He may be cute, but he’s proof that even the softest of critters can overcome the hardest of circumstances. For every Pandaren Monk that finds its way to a player’s side between now and the end of the year (December 31, 2009 at 11:59 PDT), we’ll donate 50 percent of the $10 purchasing price to the Make-a-Wish Foundation in an effort to brew up a little hope, strength, and joy in a child’s life.

Lil’ K.T., the Littlest Lich

Lil’ K.T. is a miniature lich who bears a striking resemblance to the legendary lord of Naxxramas, Kel’Thuzad. But don’t let his diminutive stature fool you: Lil’ K.T. has a diabolical laugh and wields true power at his bony fingertips, randomly wreaking icy havoc on critters who dare to cross his path. You can now buy this new pet for $10 on the Blizzard Store. (http://us.blizzard.com/store/ )

In order to receive a purchased pet, you’ll need to merge your World of Warcraft account with a Battle.net account. For more information on Battle.net, please visit the FAQ. ( https://us.battle.net/faq/index.html ) For more information on the new Pet Store, visit the Pet Store FAQ. ( http://us.blizzard.com/support/article.xml?locale=en_US&articleId=29845 )

Pet Store FAQ

Quote from: Blizzard (Source)

Why are you introducing this service?

The Pet Store provides a new way for players to obtain unique companion pets outside of the game, which is something that has been requested by many players who enjoy World of Warcraft's non-combat companions.

Will more companions be available for purchase in the future?

We plan to add more pets to the Pet Store in the near future. Keep an eye on the official World of Warcraft website and the online Blizzard Store for details.

Where can I go to purchase these pets?

You can purchase these in-game companions by visiting this link or heading to the online Blizzard Store, where you'll find the Pet Store pets under the Collectibles tab.

Will I be able to acquire these Pet Store pets by questing, through holidays, on in-game vendors, or by any other in-game methods?

No. Pets purchasable through the Pet Store will not be obtainable through quests or other in-game means -- they're only available through the online Blizzard Store.

How do I redeem a Pet Store pet once it's been purchased from the Blizzard Store?

After you purchase the pet, you'll receive a code that can then be redeemed on any World of Warcraft account via Battle.net Account Management. You don't need to redeem the code on the same Battle.net account that made the initial purchase – feel free to send the code to a friend as a gift.

Will these pets count toward pet-related achievements?

These Pet Store pets will count toward the total number of pets a character has for achievements like Plethora of Pets or Lil' Game Hunter.

Will these pets help me in combat?

No, these pets are strictly cosmetic. They have some fun animations and sound effects, but they will not help you in PvP or PvE.

What characters will receive the Pet Store pet that I purchase?

Once you redeem your code on an individual World of Warcraft account, every character on the account will receive the pet in their in-game mailbox (including any characters you create in the future). If you wish to purchase the pet for multiple different World of Warcraft accounts merged with the same Battle.net account, you will need to buy a separate pet for each World of Warcraft account individually.

**Please Note** If a character transfers off of the account where the pet is bound the pet will be lost.**

How long will these Pet Store pets be available?

We do not currently have any plans to remove these pets from the Pet Store. The Blizzard Store purchasing page will provide information on any changes to availability.

In what regions are these pets available?

The Pet Store pets are available only to players on realms located in North America, Europe, and Korea. A Battle.net account is required in order to redeem the pet.

Charity Pet

What charity will I be supporting when I purchase the Pandaren Monk pet?

Donations from every sale of the Pandaren Monk pet through December 31, 2009, will be given to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. To find out more about this charity, please visit www.wish.org.

How much of every Pandaren Monk pet sale will go to charity?

For each Pandaren Monk sale, we'll donate 50% of the $10 purchase price to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. For more information on this charity, visit www.wish.org.

How long will you be making this donation?

We will continue to make a donation for each Pandaren Monk pet purchased until December 31, 2009 at 11:59 p.m. PDT.

Will the pet still be available for purchase after the donation period is over?

Yes, you will still be able to purchase the pet after December 31, and we do not currently have any plans to remove this pet from the Pet Store. The Blizzard Store purchasing page will provide information on any changes to availability.

Does this mean you'll be introducing more services like this in the future? Will you be introducing the ability to buy epic weapons/etc. in the future, for example?
As with the pets, mounts, and other items players can obtain through Loot cards from the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game, Pet Store pets are purely cosmetic and just for fun. Like other paid services we offer, such as Paid Name Changes, Race Changes, and Character Re-Customizations, the Pet Store service is entirely optional and intended to provide players another means to enjoy World of Warcraft in a way that isn't detrimental to the game and that doesn't detract from the gameplay experience for players who choose not to use the service.

Icecrown Raid Difficulty Functionality

2009-11-04T19:12:44Z

Blizzard is once again tweaking the way raid difficulties work, first trying through achievement mechanics, then through entirely separate zones, and now a third experiment with Icecrown Citadel: a difficulty setting you can change on the fly through the user interface. Check out the details below, provided by Bornakk!

Quote from: Bornakk (Source)

In the upcoming patch we are adding a new feature to the Icecrown raid instance that allows the raid leader to change the instance's difficulty setting on a boss per boss basis. The way the raid leader chooses to switch is the same as now, by right-clicking on the character portrait. The difficulty settings can be changed from inside Icecrown Citadel, with some restrictions. For example, you cannot change the difficulty in combat or during certain events specified by our design team. To enable the ability to change the raid difficulty to heroic, you must first defeat the Lich King on normal mode, as doing so unlocks the heroic version of this raid instance. There is no heroic version of trash; meaning changing the difficulty will only affect boss difficulty.

We chose this particular functionality because we didn't want to use the Trial of the Crusader method, and have four versions on a raid of this size. We felt the Ulduar method of having to know a certain trick to do on the boss was difficult to communicate and tied too heavily to achievements. We might eventually convert Trial of the Crusader over to this new system but Ulduar and Naxxramas will likely never change.

3.3 Patch Notes Update - November 3rd, 2009

2009-11-03T23:35:50Z

The 3.3 patch notes have been updated to reflect today's PTR build, which should be coming shortly. Check out what's new below -- anything in red has been reverted.

General

Meeting Stones: To use any Meeting Stone, it is only required that the character’s minimum level be 15. There is no maximum character level requirement for any Meeting Stone.

PvP

Battlegrounds

All level 71-80 Battleground daily quests will now award 25 Arena points in addition to their current rewards.

Wintergrasp

You must now have the following ranks to build or pilot siege vehicles:

Rank 2: Build/pilot Catapults.

Rank 3: Build/pilot Demolishers.

Rank 3: Build/pilot Siege Engines.

Death Knight

Army of the Dead: The cooldown on this ability has been reduced from 20 minutes to 10 minutes. Army Ghoul damage dropped by 50%. Cannot be used in Arenas.

Raise Ally: The cooldown on this ability has been reduced from 15 minutes to 10 minutes. Cannot be used in Arenas.

Rune Strike: Threat generated by this ability increased by approximately 17%.

Mage

Talents

Frost

Fingers of Frost: This talent now triggers immediately on casting a spell rather than being delayed until the spell strikes the target.

Paladin

Divine Intervention: Cooldown on this ability has been reduced from 20 minutes to 10 minutes. Cannot be used in Arenas.

Flash of Light: This spell no longer causes a heal-over-time effect unless the player has the Infusion of Light talent.

Lay on Hands: This ability now places Forbearance on the target and cannot be used on a target with Forbearance.

Sacred Shield: The damage absorption effect from this ability now triggers only once every 30 seconds.

Talents

Holy

Infusion of Light: This talent now causes the paladin’s Flash of Light spells to heal the target for 50/100% of the Flash of Light healing amount over 12 seconds.

Protection

Aura Mastery: This effect of this talent has been reduced in duration to 6 seconds.

Shaman

Earth Elemental Totem: The cooldown for this totem has been reduced from 20 minutes to 10 minutes. Cannot be used in Arenas.

Fire Elemental Totem: The cooldown for this totem has been reduced from 20 minutes to 10 minutes. Cannot be used in Arenas.

Warlock

Pets

Inferno: The cooldown on this summoning spell has been reduced from 20 minutes to 10 minutes. Cannot be used in Arenas.

User Interface

Group Disenchanting Option: In addition to rolling Need or Greed on items, players now have the option to elect for an item to be disenchanted if an enchanter of the appropriate skill level is in the group. Disenchant works exactly like Greed except if a player wins the Greed roll, they will receive the disenchanted materials instead. Players who choose Need will always win the item and will always beat those that choose Greed or Disenchant.

World of Warcraft Patch 3.3 - Quel'Delar: The Sister Blade

2009-10-30T17:59:04Z

Quel'Delar: The Sister Blade

Blizzard has revealed the story behind Quel'Delar, a new weapon introduced in patch 3.3 through a series of quests heavily related to the High Elves prior to the fall of Quel'Thalas at the hands of Arthas Menethil and Icecrown Citadel itself. Even the dragons play a part in this quest series, so it's going to be quite epic.

Oh, and did I mention that it's a 5-player quest series? Don't forget to check out our Quel'Delar quest preview and the Quel'Delar quest videos as well if you want to find out more before this goes live.

Quote from: Bornakk (Source)

In ages past the great Dragon Aspects worked alongside the night elves to forge powerful prismatic blades that could be used to thwart any evil that came into the world. One of these weapons, Quel'Serrar, was recently unearthed. Another will soon be found...

In the upcoming content patch the sister blade, Quel'Delar, will be obtainable by players. If you want to know more, take a glimpse into this weapon's tragic past and where the quest to re-forge it will begin.

Link: http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/underdev/3p3/queldelar.xml

Story of Quel'Delar

Quote from: Blizzard (Source)

In ages past the great Dragon Aspects worked alongside the night elves to forge powerful prismatic blades that could be used to thwart any evil that came into the world. They would become known as the blades of Quel'Serrar. One of these blades, which had become lost in time, was recently unearthed again by brave heroes of Azeroth. Now rediscovered, Quel'Serrar is revered once more as a mighty tool of raw power.

Its sister blade, however, has not been seen for many years...

The sword known as Quel'Delar was held by the group of kaldorei who would eventully become the high elves, and it was handed down from generation to generation. Most recently Quel'Delar was wielded by the valiant high elven warrior Thalorien Dawnseeker. Thalorien fought tirelessly in the Troll Wars to defend his beloved home of Silvermoon, the Sunwell, and all of Quel'Thalas. When the Scourge swept through the lands during the Third War, Thalorien was among the last lines of defense for the Sunwell. Despite the sword's power, he was ultimately slain by the overwhelming might of Arthas and his legendary runeblade, Frostmourne. Quel'Delar was thought to be lost forever.

Following the destruction of their homeland, the determined blood elves began to regroup and rebuild. It was during this time that the battle-hardened warrior Lana'thel stumbled upon Quel'Delar, and soon afterward the greatest opportunity to use the blade presented itself: Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider raised an army and combined forces with Illidan Stormrage, who led them north to Icecrown on a mission to destroy the Lich King. Lana'thel readily followed her prince with one thought in mind -- revenge against the Scourge -- but only tragedy awaited her.

In the icy hills of Northrend, Arthas ultimately defeated Illidan and Kael'thas, and the expedition's few survivors were scattered across the frozen wastes. One by one the Lich King sought out those who had challenged him, and Lana'thel found herself cornered. Using Quel'Delar, she struck at him with all her might... but Frostmourne's evil powers overwhelmed her. Through his blade, the Lich King chose Lana'thel to serve him in undeath as queen of the San'layn, a group responsible for overseeing the Scourge's operations across Azeroth.

Queen Lana'thel eagerly carried out her new duties, but every time she looked at her blade, maddening anger would swell within her as she remembered her former life. She could not afford such distractions, and with a scream that echoed throughout Icecrown, she shattered Quel'Delar and flung the fractured pieces as far as she could.

Now...

The champions of the Alliance and the Horde who confront the Lich King's armies have but a slim chance of finding the pieces of this fabled blade. If they succeed, the heroes can embark on an epic adventure to re-forge Quel'Delar. They will require the strongest materials and a source of great power to make this shattered blade into the fearsome weapon it once was. Several classes can use Quel'Delar, and the sword can fit several different play styles. For any class that is unable to wield it, however, the Sunreaver blood elves and the Silver Covenant high elves will gladly take this relic of their history in exchange for a usable weapon.

The search begins soon...

Chill of the Throne, Tanking, and You!

2009-10-30T03:16:21Z

It looks like despite their best efforts to avoid this (pun intended), Icecrown Citadel will have its own version of Sunwell Radiance. This has sparked quite a debate on the forums, and we'd love to hear your thoughts on it as well. Do you think this will negatively impact more than just avoidance for the tank classes? If so, which do you think will feel this impact the greatest?

Quote from: Daelo (Source)

For Icecrown Citadel, we are implementing a spell that will affect every enemy creature in the raid. The spell, called Chill of the Throne, will allow creatures to ignore 20% of the dodge chance of their melee targets. So if a raid's main tank had 30% dodge normally, in Icecrown Citadel they will effectively have 10%.

Why are we doing this?

The high levels of tank avoidance players have obtained is making the incoming damage a tank DOES take more "spiky" than is healthy for raiding. Ideally, tanks would be receiving a relatively constant stream of damage over time. This allows healers to better plan their healing strategy, broaden their spell options, and simply give more time to react. Tanks could use their cooldowns more reactively. Instead, the current situation is that if we make a hard hitting melee boss and a tank doesn't avoid two successive swings then the tank could very well be dead in that 1-2 second window. The use of reactive defensive abilities instead becomes a methodically planned affair, healers have to spam their largest heals just in case the huge damage spike happens.

We've been trying to do a fair amount to mitigate the effect of high tank avoidance on the encounter side of things during this expansion with faster melee swings, additional melee strikes, dual wielding, narrowing the normal variance of melee swing damage, and various other tricks. There's a limit to what we can do, however. So to give us a bit of breathing room we’ve implemented Chill of the Throne. Going forward past Icecrown Citadel, we have plans to keep tank avoidance from growing so high again.

We'll have this on the PTR soon so players can see the effects inside Icecrown Raid.

Disenchanting in Dungeons in Patch 3.3

2009-10-28T21:08:27Z

Quite a few players were either confused, or concerned about how this new disenchant option was going to work, so Bornakk took some time today to post an explanation from the design team on exactly how it will function.

The good news for those of you that are enchanters is that you're not being replaced by a UI option; it'll only be there if you're there too. If no one in the group can disenchant, then the option won't be available.

Check out the full post below.

Quote from: Bornakk (Source)

As we mentioned in the recent post explaining the new Dungeon System, disenchanting will work a little differently in all 5 player and raid dungeons when patch 3.3 is released. We have seen a consistent pattern where players eventually need very few items from dungeons and they result to disenchanting as much of the loot as possible since those materials that can be obtained continue to have a lot of worth.

When the new Dungeon System is launched, the default user interface will give players the option to automatically disenchant items that they obtain in 5 player and raid dungeons. This option will avoid the hassle of having items picked up by an enchanter first to redistributed later and overall will make the process much smoother.

Also, with the inclusion of cross-realm-instancing in the dungeon system, there will be restrictions on trading items similar to the restrictions that are currently active in Battlegrounds. If the Dungeon System is used to complete a group for a dungeon then non-temporary items will not be able to be traded in the instance. This makes it so items like enchanting materials will not be able to be traded in the dungeon and using the new user interface option will be the only way to distribute disenchants. There will be some exceptions to this restriction though as Bind-on-Pickup items will continue to be trade-able to those present for the kill for a short duration and completely pre-formed groups that don’t use the Dungeon System to form the group will still allow trades.

To maintain the importance of the profession itself, the disenchanting UI option will only be available for groups that have a character with the necessary level of Enchanting to disenchant the items that are obtained.

We are very excited about the upcoming improvements in the new Dungeon System and don’t forget to check out the full preview here for all the details: http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=20677771774&sid=1

3.3 PTR Patch Notes Updated - October 27th, 2009

2009-10-27T23:23:21Z

The 3.3 PTR patch notes have been updated once again to reflect today's build, including full details on the new Looking For Dungeon and Looking For Raid systems!

Quote from: Dresorull (Source)

Races: General

Will of the Forsaken now shares a 45-second cooldown with similar effects, including the Medallion of the Horde, Titan-Forged runes, Insignia of the Horde, etc.

Druid

Talents

Feral

Predatory Strikes: The Predatory Swiftness buff from this talent now has an 8-second duration.

Paladin

Sacred Shield: The damage absorption effect from this ability now triggers only once every 30 seconds.

Talents

Holy

Infusion of Light: This talent now also reduces the cooldown on the effect of Sacred Shield by 12/24 seconds.

Protection

Divine Guardian: This talent no longer increases the amount of damage transferred to the paladin from Divine Sacrifice. Instead it causes all raid and party members to take 10/20% reduced damage while Divine Sacrifice is active. In addition, the duration has been changed to 6 seconds, however the effect does not terminate when Divine Sacrifice is removed before its full duration.

User Interface

Dungeon System

This feature has replaced the Looking For Group tool and provides all-new dungeon party creation functionality.

Players can join as individuals, as a full group, or a partial group to look for additional party members.

Groups using this tool will be able to teleport directly to the selected instance. Upon leaving the instance, players will be returned to their original location. If any party member needs to temporarily leave the instance for reagents or repairs, they will have the option to teleport back to the instance.

Players can choose the Random Dungeon option.

The Heroic Wrath of the Lich King Daily Random Dungeon option will award two Emblems of Frost no more than once a day.

The normal Wrath of the Lich King Daily Random Dungeon option will award two Emblems of Triumph no more than once a day.

Continuing to complete Wrath of the Lich King Heroic instances using the Daily Random Dungeon option will award players two additional Emblems of Triumph each time.

Daily Heroic and normal dungeon quests have been removed. These quests have been replaced with weekly raid quests (see the “Quests” section for details).

Level-appropriate rewards will be offered to players who choose the Random Dungeon option for pre-Wrath of the Lich King dungeons.

Players can be placed in a group for a random dungeon no more than once every 15 minutes.

Random Dungeon rewards will be placed in each player’s inventory automatically upon completion of the dungeon (final boss killed). A pop-up notification will display any rewards earned through the Dungeon System.

Instead of choosing a random dungeon, players can also choose specific dungeons appropriate for their level range. Multiple instances can be selected at one time. The feature no longer limits the choice to look for only 3 dungeon groups at one time.

Pick-Up Groups

Cross-realm instances are now available and use an improved matchmaking system to assist players in looking for additional party members. As with Battlegrounds, the realms in each Battlegroup are connected.

As part of the matchmaking system, some of the more difficult dungeons will have a minimum gear requirement. Players also need to meet the requirements for dungeons that require attunement, such as keys or quests. If a player does not meet the requirements for a particular dungeon, a lock icon will be displayed next to that dungeon. Hovering over this icon will display the requirements which have not been met.

Only conjured items and loot dropped in a dungeon for which other party members are eligible can be traded between players from different realms.

A Vote Kick feature will be available in the event a member of a party is not performing to the expectations of the other members.

Players who leave the group prematurely are subject to a Deserter debuff preventing them from using the Dungeon System tool for 15 minutes.

If an existing group loses a member, the leader will be asked if he or she wants to continue the dungeon. Choosing to continue will automatically place the group back into the Dungeon System queue.

A Player will not be placed in a group with people on his or her Ignore list.

Players who take part in groups who have one or more members who have been matched with them randomly from within the Dungeon System will receive extra rewards, up to and including the coveted Perky Pug non-combat pet. The more random players with whom one groups, the faster the pet can be obtained.

The Need Before Greed loot system will be the unalterable default looting system for pick-up groups in the Dungeon System and has been updated.

Need Before Greed will now recognize gear appropriate for a class in three ways: the class must be able to equip the item, pure melee will be unable to roll on spell power items, and classes are limited to their dominant armor type (ex. paladins for plate). All items will still be available via Greed rolls as well as the new Disenchant option should no member be able to use the item.

Players will be able to roll on items with a required minimum level higher than a player’s current level.

Looking For Raid

There is a new Looking For Raid option available to players that can be accessed via the Raid Information screen in the interface or by typing “/LFR.”

Players will be able to browse the system manually for any other players looking for a raid dungeon group.

While browsing LFR players may sort the list ascending or descending by left-clicking the following headers: Name, Level, Class, Tank Role, Healer Role, and Damage Role. The crown is the Leader Role (representing a raid group with 2 or more people). Players can left-click on this header to sort the list with groups at the top or at the bottom.

Hovering over players listed in LFR will display their name, class, level, roles and comments. Hovering over a raid/group will display the leader’s name, the raid information (number of people the raid), comments, if there are any bosses dead (and which ones), and if there are any friends from your Friends list or ignored players from your Ignore list in the raid group.

The Looking For Group chat channel has returned and can be accessed in all major cities (similar to the Trade chat channel) without the use of the Dungeon system interface.

Players may only be queued or listed in one of the following systems at a time: Dungeons, LFR, Battlegrounds, or Arenas.

Ignore List: The amount of characters a person can ignore has been increased to 50. In addition, players on other realms can be placed on the Ignore List.

Reputations

Commendation Badges which award reputation with various Wrath of the Lich King factions can be purchased with Emblems of Triumph in Dalaran.

Items

Sceptor of Celebras: Since this item is no longer needed as a key, Celebras will no longer give one out to a player who loses it. The item can now be sold or disenchanted as normal.

World of Warcraft Race Change Now Available

2009-10-27T19:30:52Z

Race Change Live On US Realms

It looks like we won't have to wait for patch 3.3 for race changes, as it's now enabled in the US account management section. It's not yet enabled for EU players, but I'd suspect it will be soon. Below I've included details on the race change feature, as well as the FAQ.

The Race Change service lets you change a character's race to another race within their faction. The full range of customization options offered by the Character Re-Customization service is included as well. Each race change costs $25.00 USD.

Things to know before you start:

Under normal conditions, a race change should be ready immediately after rendering payment and completing the steps in this process.

You can select a new character race only from those in the same faction that have the character's class available. You cannot change a character's class.

A character's current home city reputation level will switch values with their new home city, and their home city racial mounts will convert to those of their new race. Refer to the Race Change Translation Table for more details.

A realm transfer is not included in a race change.

A character can change races once every 3 days.

Please refer to the Character Race Change FAQ for answers to common questions about this service.

Race Change FAQ

Quote from: Blizzard (Source)

What is the Race Change service?
Our Race Change service is designed to allow existing characters the opportunity to change their designated race while staying in their existing faction (Alliance or Horde).

Can I use the Race Change service to change factions?
No, faction changes are handled separately through our Faction Change service. For more information, visit the Faction Change FAQ. <http://us.blizzard.com/support/article.xml?locale=en_US&tag=FCFAQ>

How do I begin the Race Change process?
To begin the Race Change process, please visit the Account Management page, select the Race Change option, and carefully follow the instructions provided.

How much does this service cost?
Each Race Change costs $25.00 USD (not including applicable taxes). This covers a single Race Change for a single character.

Is this service taxed? If so, how can I tell if my purchase will be taxed?
Players in select states in the U.S. may be subject to taxation when using our Race Change service. This list includes, but is not limited to:
- New Mexico
- Texas

Can I change multiple characters' races at once?
No. The Race Change service only allows one change per transaction. If you would like to change multiple characters' races, you will need to pay for each one separately.

At what level can I change a character's race?
Characters level 10 and above are eligible for a Race Change. Death Knights will be unable to change their race until level 60.

Will this service allow me to customize a character and select a different name once its race has been changed?
Yes. Each Race Change purchase will also provide the target character with an included re-customization and optional name change.

Am I allowed to choose any race regardless of what class I play?
No, the new race you choose must be compatible with your current class.

Can I use this service to change the character back to its original race?
Absolutely; however, this will require purchasing another Race Change.

Will I be able to select Cataclysm races and class combinations for a character once they're available in game?
Details are not available at this time. As development continues, though, we hope to provide more information.

How often can I change a character's race?
You may change a character's race every three days.

What happens after I initiate a Race Change?
Once your payment has processed and after you have remained logged out of the game for at least 30 minutes, you will see a new button to the left of the character's name upon next login. Clicking on this button will allow you to select the character's new race, as well as customize the character's look and name. These steps will greatly resemble the character creation process.
To complete the Race Change, press the button labeled "Click to change your character's race" and confirm your selections. If you do not wish to change the character's race immediately, you may do so at a later time.

What will happen to the character's old name?
If you opt to change the character's name, the name will be locked from use on the realm for 90 days. You are not required to change the character's name, though; this is simply an option we provide included with the Race Change.

What will happen to the character's equipment when I change its race?
Equipment will be unaffected by the Race Change.

What will happen to the character's mounts when I change its race?
Mounts which are not considered race-specific will remain unchanged by this process. Race-specific mounts will be exchanged for a cross-race equivalent. You can view a full list of race-specific mounts and their equivalents here. <need link>

What will happen to the character's non-combat pets when I change its race?
Non-combat pets will not be affected by this process and will be available once the character's Race Change completes.

What will happen to the character's achievements when I change its race?
Achievements will remain unchanged by this process.

What will happen to the character's titles when I change its race?
Titles will remain unchanged by this process.

What will happen to the character's reputation levels when I change its race?
Upon changing races, the reputation level associated with the character's previous race will be switched with that of the character's new race.
All other reputations will be unaffected by the change.

What will happen to the character's quests when I change its race?
Quests which are active in the character's log at the time of the Race Change will be cleared and all quest items associated with these quests will be destroyed.

What will happen to the character's flight paths when I change its race?
All flight points are unaffected by the change.

What will happen to the character's "Friends" and "Ignore" lists when I change its race?
The character's "Friends" and "Ignore" lists will be unaffected by the change.

What will happen to the character's Guild and Arena team(s)?
A character's Guild and Arena team will be unaffected by the change.

Can I use the Race Change service if I am a Guild leader or Arena team leader?
Yes. The character's Guild and Arena teams will be unaffected by the change.

What will happen to the character's honor and Arena points?
Any honor points, Marks of Honor, and lifetime honorable kills will not be affected by this process. Earned Arena points will carry over, as well; however, any pending Arena points accrued after the last maintenance period but before your Race Change is initiated may be lost.

Where will the character be located after the Race Change is complete?
Once the Race Change is complete, the character will be moved to the capital city of its new race.

What will happen to the character's Armory profile?
Once you have completed the Race Change process, the character's Armory profile will be updated to reflect any racial, gender, or name changes. Please note that our Armory system is still in beta at this time, so the character's profile may not immediately display the updated information.

Will this service share a cooldown with the Character Transfer, Character Name Change, or Character Re-Customization services?
No. The Race Change service will not share its cooldown with any of these services.

Will this service share a cooldown with the Faction Change service?
Yes. If you perform a Race Change, you will not be able to perform a Faction Change for three days.

Can I purchase a Race Change for a character that has a pending Name Change or Re-Customization or is in the process of being transferred?
No. Before you can initiate a Race Change for a character, please complete any pending Name Changes, Re-Customizations, or Transfers. These pending transactions will prevent you from initiating a Race Change.

When will I be charged for the character's Race Change?
You will be charged immediately upon pressing the confirmation button on the Race Change page.

Is there any way to cancel a Race Change while the process is pending?
Because your payment method will be charged immediately upon confirmation, you will be unable to cancel the process once you have pressed the confirmation button and the Race Change process is underway.
Is there any way to reverse a Race Change once it's completed?
No. Once a Race Change is done, it is permanent. You may, however, purchase another Race Change to switch back to the original race once the service cooldown time has elapsed.

Patch 3.3 - Kalu'ak Fishing Derby Details

2009-10-26T18:47:48Z

The new fishing derby being added to Northrend in patch 3.3 looks to be quite rewarding. Not only will the winner receive experience (or gold if at level 80), but they'll also be able to choose between an heirloom ring which increases experience gain, or a pair of boots that boosts fishing skill and can teleport you to Booty Bay. Check out the full details below!

Quote from: Slorkuz (Source)

Coming in patch 3.3.0, the esteemed tuskarr of the Kalu'ak are proud to introduce to Northrend the Kalu'ak Fishing Derby, a test of fishing skill with a healthy dash of luck! Every Wednesday beginning at 8 PM players can try to catch the elusive Blacktip Shark. Elder Clearwater sits in Dalaran for one hour awaiting the return of the quickest, most experienced fisher to bring him the first catch of the night. This champion fisher will be rewarded in-kind for his or her fishing expertise. Those who aren’t able to return with the first catch will still receive just reward for getting the Blacktip Shark to Elder Clearwater before he takes his leave.

It is said that these sharks’ favorite meal are the bite-sized Pygmy Suckerfish. Perhaps a hook in their waters will do the trick. Because of the increased concentration of fish, you have an increased chance to catch a shark from fishing pools. Don't forget, in patch 3.3.0 you never catch trash from fishing pools, regardless of skill.

The derby winner will receive a substantial chunk of experience (or money at maximum level) and gain 5000 reputation with the Kalu'ak. In addition, the champion will be given a choice between two unique rewards:

Dread Pirate Ring
Binds on Account
Unique-Equipped
Finger
+34 Stamina
Requires level 1 to 80 (80)
Equip: Improves critical strike rating by 53.
Equip: Improves hit rating by 29.
Equip: Experience gained from killing monsters and completing quests increased by 5%.

Boots of the Bay
Binds When Picked Up
Feet
Requires Fishing (200)
Equip: Increased Fishing +15.
Use: Whisks you away to the finest drinking establishment in Booty Bay. (1 Day Cooldown)

To keep it interesting, the Achievement "Master Angler of Stranglethorn" has been changed to "Master Angler of Azeroth." This can be earned by winning either the Kalu'ak Fishing Derby or the Stranglethorn Fishing Extravaganza.

Please bear in mind this feature will be undergoing testing on our Public Test Realms and is subject to change prior to the release of patch 3.3.0.

WoW Loading Screens Go Wide

2009-10-25T03:37:07Z

Good news for those of us on widescreen resolutions. In the most recent build of patch 3.3 on the PTR, Blizzard has added widescreen versions of the loading screens for each of the continents in World of Warcraft. We can probably expect widescreen versions of the dungeon loading screens as well over the course of 3.3's testing phase. Check them out below!

3.3 PTR Patch Notes Updated

2009-10-25T02:30:55Z

3.3 PTR Patch Notes Update

The 3.3 patch notes have been updated again. Check out all of the changes and additions below. Anything colored red has been removed.

General

Character Creation: The descriptions for races, classes, and race/class combinations have been improved to provide new players with a better idea of the roles and advantages of each class and race.

Knockbacks no longer dismount players. If on a flying mount, you will be knocked back a short distance before being able to resume flying.

Druid

Talents

Balance

Force of Nature: Health on the treants has been increased.

Feral

Predatory Strikes: The Predatory Swiftness buff from this talent now has a 5-second duration.

Restoration

Gift of the Earthmother: Redesigned. This talent now increases spell haste and reduces the base global cooldown by 2/4/6/8/10% instead of its previous effect.

Mage

Pets

Mirror Image: Health on the mirror images has been increased.

Paladin

Divine Sacrifice: Redesigned. The effect of Divine Sacrifice is now party-only and the maximum damage which can be transferred is now limited to 40% of the paladin’s health multiplied by the number of party members. In addition, the bug which allowed Divine Sacrifice to sometimes persist despite reaching its maximum damage has been fixed. Divine Sacrifice will now cancel as soon as its maximum damage value is exceeded in all cases. Finally, damage which reduces the paladin’s health below 20% now cancels the effect early.

Rogue

Vanish: For the first half second after this ability is used, neither Vanish nor Stealth can be broken by taking damage or being the victim of a hostile spell or ability.

User Interface

Many of the default Interface Options settings have been changed for greater ease of use by new players. Existing players who create new characters may want to review the Interface Options in the event that the default settings feel different.

Buffs and Debuffs: This is a new section added to Interface Options.

New option - Castable Debuffs: Enabling this will cause only debuffs you have cast on an enemy target to appear.

New option - Consolidate Buffs: Enabling this adds a buff consolidation box near the mini-map. Very short term buffs (e.g. Replenishment) and very long term buffs (e.g. Prayer of Fortitude) are filtered into the buff box. The icons are stacked here, but they can still be seen by moving the mouse cursor over the buff box. Long term buffs will move out of the box when they are about to expire. Buffs such as important procs (e.g. Art of War, Lightning Overload), cooldowns (e.g. Bloodlust / Heroism, Combustion) or limited in range (e.g. totems and paladin auras) are always displayed.

Tutorial System: The tutorial pop-ups are now larger, contain images, and better try to direct players to the relevant locations or user interface elements on the screen. In addition, several new tips have been added, while some existing tips will now appear at more appropriate times for new players.

Dungeon & Raid Difficult Display: A group’s dungeon or raid difficulty setting will now be displayed via an icon off of the mini-map.

Group Disenchanting Option: In addition to rolling “Need” or “Greed” on items, players now have the option to elect for an item to be disenchanted. “Disenchant” works exactly like “Greed” except if a player wins the “Greed” roll, they will receive the disenchanted materials instead. Players who choose “Need” will always win the item and will always beat those that choose “Greed” or “Disenchant.”

Lag Reports: Players can now report high latency or lag by accessing the Help Request menu.

Professions

Fishing

The all-new Kalu’ak Fishing Derby, a test of fishing skill with a healthy dash of luck, has come to Northrend! Every Wednesday beginning at 8 PM players can try to catch the elusive Blacktip Shark. Elder Clearwater sits in Dalaran for one hour awaiting the return of the quickest, most experienced fisher to bring him this shark. This champion fisher will be rewarded in-kind for returning with the first catch. Those who aren’t able to return with the first catch will still receive just reward for getting the Blacktip Shark to Elder Clearwater before he takes his leave. It is said that these sharks’ favorite meal are the bite-sized Pygmy Suckerfish. Perhaps a hook in their waters will do the trick.

Achievements

The Achievements to get exalted with the Warsong Gulch, Arathi Basin, and Alterac Valley factions have been removed from their respective “Master of” Meta-Achievements. Special titles will be offered to those who reach exalted with these factions.

“The Party’s Over” has been removed from Achievements and is no longer a part of the “Glory of the Hero” Meta-Achievement.

“Master Angler of Stranglethorn” has been changed to “Master Angler of Azeroth” and can be achieved by winning either the Kalu'ak Fishing Derby or the Stranglethorn Fishing Extravaganza.

Items

Arena Set Bonuses: The two-piece set bonus for all Wrath of the Lich King Arena sets now provides 100 resilience and 29 spell power or 50 attack power. The current four-piece bonus will remain, however it also now provides 88 spell power or 150 attack power.

Shaman Tier-9 4-Piece Set Bonus (Elemental): This set bonus now places a damage-over-time effect on the target when Lava Burst deals damage instead of increasing the size of the Lava Burst.

World of Warcraft Twitter Developer Chat Recap

2009-10-23T19:21:52Z

World of Warcraft Twitter Developer Chat Recap

This dev chat was largely information anyone who has access to the internet (apparently someone figured out how to use Twitter through a cup and a string) should already know, but there are a few interesting answers. I've separated these into categories of importance.

Quote from: Blizzard (Source)

New / Somewhat Useful

Q: Any plans for a gated system in IIC like in Colliseum that prevents us from doing hardmodes from day 1?
A: We do have a system that unlocks bosses similar to how we handled TOC and Sunwell. We are restricting hard modes to raid leaders that have defeated Arthas in regular mode.

Q: With T10, are we going to see tokens like in Ulduar? or like CC? CC style had every class and spec rolling on same thing.
A: With t10 we're going to see a hybrid. The tier 10 items (the ones with item levels you'd find in the 10-player raid) will be purchased with Emblems of Frost.

The tier 10.5 items (the ones with item levels you'd find in the 25-player raid) will be obtained by getting a token (one that is specific to 3 or 4 classes, much like the ulduar tokens) and using it to upgrade the tier 10 item that was purchased with emblems of frost.

Q: In the future will hard modes have greater fidelity like Sarth, Sarth+1, Sarth+2, Sarth+3 rather than the Binary Normal/Hard?
A: Generally we have learned that hard modes should be more binary, but that doesn’t mean we will never do something like Sarth 3 drakes again.

Q: May I create a group with 4 friends and then use the LFG interface to gain the random dungeon reward?
A: Yes. In fact, you can join it with a full group of 5 and still get the random dungeon reward. The reward is for doing a random dungeon, not necessarily for having random members.

Q: Will Path of the Titans be as time consuming as obtaining Sons of Hodir reputation?
A: Sons of Hodir was easy, we're thinking more along the lines of Argent Dawn rep actually. JK! As a matter of fact, we don't want the paths of the titans to feel grindy at all so we're trying to make sure that each step along the way feels more like a great quest, or a key achievement (like killing all the bosses in a new raid zone). So, it should be more oriented around accomplishing something that feels important rather than grinding.

Q: Are there any plans to open the other "sanctums" in Wyrmrest (i.e. Obsidian Sanctum, Azure Sanctum, Emerald Sanctum)?
A: Possibly. =]

Q: Are Worgen going to have mounts?
A: Both Worgen and Goblins will have new, racial specific mounts.

Q: Do you have plans to have acheivement points redeemable?
A: Achievement points are a prestige reward only. There are no plans to turn them into some kind of currency.

Q: Will 10-man raiding guilds see Legendary quality weapons (items) drop in their raids anytime soon? Or in Cataclysm?
A: Our current plan is to reserve Legendary weapons for the 25 person encounters, I wouldn’t rule it out in the future though.

Q: Any chance of being able to link more then one authenticator on one account? (in case I lose or break one)
A: We are talking about the authenticator and how to make it a better experience. Your suggestion is one we are talking about.

Cataclysm

Q: What are the plans for the current Goblin-run towns after Cataclysm is out?
A: Most Goblin-run towns will continue to operate as normal. In general, the existing Goblin cartels tend to be self-serving, and therefore aren't taking sides.

Q: Thousand Needles is getting a big change in levels; how has the Cataclysm affected it?
A: As a result of the Cataclysm, Thousand Needles has been completely flooded with water!

Q: What’s Deathwing’s current relationship with the Old Gods?
A: In facebook terms, I'd list it as "It's Complicated". "Single" or "Married" are probably too extreme in this case.

Q: Will there be Wintergrasp-like capturable zones in Cataclysm?
A: Yes, there is an island off the coast of the Eastern Kingdoms named Tol Barad. Players will fight for control of the island and its famous prison. However, while the battle for Tol Barad is not in progress, players will find that it will remind them much more of the Isle of Quel'Danas, in that it'll be a major daily quest hub with quite a bit of random world pvp (presumably).

Q: With Cataclysm revisiting the old world, any plan to make the old reputations worthwhile again?
A: With each expansion, we introduce new reputations with new rewards. Sometimes we introduce reputations that are obviously related, such as Argent Dawn/Argent Crusade and Cenarion Circle/Cenarion Expedition. We don’t update the rewards for existing reps, as we don’t want to put new characters at such a significant disadvantage.

Q: With the removal of defense in Cataclysm, will plate gear still have avoidance stats or will tanks and dps be sharing?
A: Tanking gear will still have avoidance stats, they just won't have the defense stat anymore. So to answer your question, tanking and dps gear will not be the same.

Q: Any plans of doing anything with Grim Batol in the Wetlands?
A: Yes, we currently plan for Grim Batol to be one of the raid zones in Cataclysm. =]

Q: Will leveling from 80-85 be like leveling from 70-80?
A: It's too early to say. We base our leveling more around how much quest content we have and how good the reward pacing feels. If we have as many quests as we did from 70-80 and if it feels like your character is getting a reasonable amount of new stuff for the time invested, then it could end up being similar.

Q: Will players be able to do 'old world' quests after Cataclysm is released?
A: Only "old world" quests that we don't change. However, once the Cataclysm happens, it happens for everyone and there's no going back.

Q: How will you handle beginning characters and higher level friends after Cataclysm? WIll they be out of phase?
Players will not be out of phase. The Cataclysm changes the world for everyone.

Q: Will Hyjal be made for exploration in Cataclysm?
A: Yes.

Patch 3.3

Q: Ulduar had one kind of hard mode(triggered).. ToC had another (ToC vs TOGC).. Ony has none. What will ICC have?"
A: ICC's hard modes will be triggered, but via in-game UI (much like how you toggle between normal and heroic modes today) rather than triggered by game mechanics (like not killing the three drakes before you attack Sartharion).

Q: For Cross-realm LFG if the group is composed by members of other realms do they have to go on foot or will they be teleported?
A: The current plan is for players using the LFG system to be automatically teleported into the instance, similar to how battleground queuing works today. This is active on the PTR now, and we plan to host a community event around this feature soon!

Q: Any chance to have LFG menu to show classes you're looking for I.E just showing all tanks or healers currently qued in LFG.
A: The plan right now is to allow players to register for roles they are capable of filling, then have the queue system make the best decision possible for the player. This is to give all classes an equal chance at participation. We also have plans to diversify the class makeup in a future PTR update.

Q: There's plenty of great endgame content, what about some new early/mid content to keep new players entertained?
A: We actually have some small changes to the early game going live in 3.3.0 to help eliminate some new player confusion. This is not content specific, it is more focused around easing the new player pain.

General

Q: Will there be events where ally + horde players have to work together to kill a boss?
A: Generally speaking we don't do this because we prefer that the horde and alliance feel like enemies rather than a big happy family working together to defeat a common foe. If anything, we want tension between the sides to rise.

Q: When Race change is live will we be able to change to any race in our faction no matter what class we are?
A: No, you can only Race Change to a race that allows your specific class.

Q: Will there be anymore epic storylines with cinematics like the wrathgate questline?
A: We have big plans for additional in game cinematics! We are happy with how the Wrathgate questline worked out, and want to do more lines like this.

Q: Any chance that the hybrid system that is going to be implemented for T10, could be retro fitted to all WotLK raids?
A: I'll take that as a good reaction to the t10 system. =] However, it unfortunately won't be retroactively applied.

Q: Love the steps taken to making high-end content accessible to casual players. How committed are you to continuing this?
A: This is something we talk about on a regular basis. There isn’t a line in the sand we have made, it’s much more on a per piece of content basis. We do like the way the regular modes are shaping up to be more casual friendly, while the hardmodes are a way to reward very hardcore play.

Q: Any plans on adding bonuses to certain titles your character obtains? Like "...of the alliance" gives +5 to all stats
A: We have no plans to introduce combat advantages to titles. Titles in World of Warcraft are very specifically set up as prestige rewards only.

Q: Crowd control is all but dead in raids. Is that something you plan on bringing back?
A: Like say... with the Faction Champions encounter in ToC? ;]

Q: Can locks have a summonable flying mount now please
A: Now? As in right this second? No.

Q: Are hardmodes going to get anything to make them feel like a different fight visually or auditory
A: I find the hard modes very different visually. Much more black and white imo.

Q: Any chance the Legendary items will grow stronger as players level up as heirlooms? Its too much work, just to ditch after a patch.
A: This is something we have talked about a great deal. One of the concerns about making a weapon “best in the game” that scales up, is that players will continue to do old, outdated content in order to obtain the weapon. This ends up being not very fun for the other participants. While obtaining a legendary weapon is an incredible accomplishment, it is important cycle out weapons on a somewhat regular basis to make sure players are always playing new content.

Why was this answered?

Q: Will Alliance ever get an ingame band like the Hordes L80ETC?
A: Sure, if somebody knows of an awesome Alliance band...

Q: When do hunters get to tame druids?
A: Right after druids get a hunter form.

Q: What will happen to Mankrik's Wife? Please don't tell me she's gobbled up by the lava?
A: You'll have to wait and see. =]

Last question!
Q: Who are the two developers answering these questions?
A: Game Director Tom Chilton and Director of Production J. Allen Brack.

Thank you for joining us at our first #BlizzChat!

World of Warcraft Tier-10 Armor Sneak Preview!

2009-10-21T18:33:38Z

We've received an update from the World of Warcraft team about a Tier-10 armor sneak preview! Here's a look at what they had to say:

As the threats within Icecrown Citadel continue to take shape, so do the rewards for the brave souls who seek to face them. We’ve updated our Under Development page with high-resolution images of a few more of the tier-10 armor sets that wait to be acquired within the halls of Icecrown Citadel. As we add more classes' sets to the PTR, they'll arrive here for your viewing. Stay tuned!

We have also posted on the forums in regard to warning players about upcoming spoilers. We hope to get this message out as much as possible in order to better preserve the end experience for players looking forward to Icecrown.

http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=20566389843&sid=1

Warning: Spoilers Ahead!

In the days and weeks ahead, we’ll be adding more content to the Public Test Realms in preparation for the upcoming patch and the final confrontation with the Lich King. While we’ve shared some of what’s coming already, and players will be able to see a bit more of what’s waiting in Icecrown Citadel during our testing, you may see some other websites digging into the data files and posting some pretty serious spoilers beyond what players will be able to experience on the PTR.

We’ve put thousands of hours of work into crafting an epic conclusion to the Wrath of the Lich King story, and we’re excited that we’ll soon be able to share it with everyone -- however, we also think the surprises we’ve got in store are best experienced within the context of the game itself. Should you wish not to have your Icecrown experience spoiled, we advise you to steer clear of any sites data-mining and posting this content. And if you do seek out spoilers, we ask that you please be mindful of your fellow players on the official forums. We’re looking forward to hearing about your adventures once the new content is available on the live realms.

We also wanted to give everyone a heads-up that we will have more updates for you next week, including a more in-depth look at the Dungeon System (formerly LFG) and how it works sometime early next week. While this is currently live on the PTR, we are aware there are many questions associated with it and we hope to answer as many questions as we can.

Here are the latest important PTR 3.3 links from World of Raids:

3.3 PTR Rotface Testing
3.3 PTR Build 10623
Icecrown Citadel: The Frozen Halls